Paddy Upton was spotted at a monorail station called Imbiah in Sentosa in Singapore City on Thursday afternoon. This is where one has to alight to proceed towards the venue hosting the World Chess Championship between D Gukesh and Ding Liren of China. Upton seemed unfamiliar with place and he was looking around to find the right direction.
This was hours before Gukesh had even seen him for the first time. Isn’t it odd? Upton is the Indian’s mental conditioning coach. Hired specifically for this contest, they have interacting at least once a week since May. Yet, the first time they saw each other in person was after the 14th round game, which Gukesh won to become the youngest-ever world champion at the age of 18.
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“Paddy has been a huge support for me in the past six months during the preparation for this match,” Gukesh acknowledged at the press conference. “He is not exactly a part of my chess team, but a very important part of my support team and a part of my journey. I am really glad to have him over here,” was the world champion’s reaction after seeing him for the first time in person.
Upton is not new to the Indian sport ecosystem. He was brought over by fellow South African Gary Kirsten, the former coach of the Indian cricket team. He was part of the support staff when MS Dhoni’s team won the 2011 World Cup. Having worked with teams in the Indian Premier League, Upton has also assisted the Indian hockey team which won Olympic bronze.
A person who prefers being in the background instead of grabbing the limelight, Upton is a low-profile character. He is not seen when the teams or individuals he works with are celebrating victory. He works on the mindset of sports teams and sportspersons and makes them ready for the challenges they have to face. In simple words, he helps them prepare psychologically.
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“I thought it would be very important to be in the right mental state for the World Championship,” said Gukesh. “The work has been very helpful. We had so many conversations through these months. Although Paddy doesn’t understand chess very well, he understands sports and the psychology. Not just mentally, he also helped me stay in shape physically.”
As the dust settles, Upton is on his to becoming a household name in the Indian sports fraternity, if he is not one already. At times of distress or to elevate themselves to the next level, more athletes would like to get in touch with him. From cricket to chess via hockey — it’s been a remarkable association of a South African with India sports.
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